National Hug Day: 5 People Who Could Use a Hug

Today is National Hug Day. It’s your opportunity to go out and have some meaningful human contact with a stranger. The benefits of human contact include improved social, psychological and physical development. It makes you feel better. You feel better when you hug your friends, spouses, or children. A hug can comfort you and cheer you up or even just remind you that we’re all human. Even hugging your dog brings some joy to the hugger. In celebration of National Hug Day, I want to suggest that you hug your family, friends and pet, but also try hugging a stranger. It will go a long way to healing the planet and just might make your day. Here are 5 suggestions of who to hug.

1. Teacher

We entrust the lives of our children to teachers. We place their future in the hands of these noble professionals. Teachers perform a great service and do not nearly get the recognition or compensation for their contribution to society. It is not atypical that a teacher spends more time with an adolescent than a parent, given work, sleep, etc.

2. Cop

Love them or leave them, they are there to keep the peace and maintain order. We complain a lot about the police department, more so I think in the large urban centers, but when we need help, we will dial 9-1-1 or flag down a patrol car. All we ask for from the police is courtesy, professionalism and respect and that is what we should return. Cops do their job better when we treat them as part of the community and part of the solution, not part of the problem.

3. Homeless person

All homeless people are not chemically dependent or mentally unstable. Some are just literally down on their luck. They are the forgotten citizens of society, so used to being ridiculed and abused that they often shy away from human contact. Sometimes they just simply need a hug, Give it a try, you won’t get cooties.

4. Solider

Just walk up to a member of the armed forces, an active service person and give them a big hug for defending your country. Granted this assumes you live in a country where the military is used for more good than bad (and that is subjective), but if you live in a country where the military helps protect and defend your freedom and liberties, then give them a big hug.

5. Nurse

Nurses are the angels in the hospital. If you have ever been hospitalized you realize quite quickly that doctors save your life and nurses keep you living. Nurses provide the comfort and care that make a hospital stay tolerable. You may see your doctor once a day for 10 to 15 minutes (if that) but nurses or on duty and on available 24/7. If you need a pillow, a sip of water, or just some quick reassurance and bedside manner, it won’t come from your doctor, it’ll be a nurse there to make your stay as pleasant as possible.